DID, you know?
by Aurelia Maddox
Summary: this is in response to a challenge on potions and snitches in which Harry has dissociative identity disorder and Snape is the one to discover it and help him through it. this is not a slash. may be Severitus if you squint and tilt your head. no pairings. starts at the beginning of 2nd year. cannon through 1st year but not after that. one swear word. p.s. I'm looking for a beta.
1. Chapter 1: Harold

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own…

This is in response to a challenge:

Challenge: *****Summary: **So there was a story I read on here [sorry, I can't remember who it was by] that had Harry having Dissociative Identity Disorder, and I thought it was brilliant. Therefore...I want to make a challenge about it!

~Requirements~  
Please actually research DID. There's nothing worse than reading a story with a mental illness in it that's completely wrong. I don't expect everything to be perfect, or anything, but showing you put *something* into it would be nice.

May not be set before first year. May be set anywhere between second-sixth years, and you may mess with canon any way you see fit. Voldemort may be dead already, or not dead, or anything you like.

Harry must have been placed with the Dursleys as a baby. The abuse/neglect must be worse than it is in the books. [After all, it caused him to dissociate.]

Harry must have more than two alters. You can decide what they're like, what they're named, etc.

Snape must find out at some point. He must find out FIRST. After that, anyone else may find out, but Snape is the first one who starts suspecting that something is wrong.

Please, no canon character death, unless it's of Voldemort and/or the other Death Eaters.

And yes, for the record, I did do research.

-AM

Severus Snape sat at the staff table staring at a raven-haired boy; this is not unusual for the potion's master. While it would normally be considered odd for a grown man to spend copious amounts of time staring at a child, Severus felt he had more than enough reasons to do so. He heard McGonagall call out "Ginerva Weasley," and rolled his eyes. _Why bloody bother, _he thought to himself, _all Weasley's end up in Gryffindor!_ The boy whom he was studying clapped politely then stared at the table he sat behind.

_Odd, _thought Severus, _the brat hasn't said a word all night. _Dumbledore's speech fell upon deaf ears as Severus stayed focused on the boy. Trays of food appeared on every table. He scooped a small portion of everything onto his plate and watched as the boy did the same.

Their eyes met momentarily. A fierce glare flashed across the boy's eyes then a smirk appeared on his face. _There's the brat I know, _Severus silently commented.

The boy straightened his back and joined the conversation. Yet still something was off, though Severus was unsure what. _That boy is like night and day, _he mused, _one moment he is calm and polite, the next he is unruly and disrespectful. Perhaps the boy is bipolar. _

He heard Dumbledore dismiss the students and remained seated until the hall was cleared. He stood swiftly and walked to the Slytherin common room.

Harry shook his head and blinked his eyes. A prefect was trying to usher him upstairs, it took him a few minutes to realize that dinner had ended. _Ah man, _thought Harry, _I slept through the sorting ceremony and dinner again! At least I'm not hungry this time._

He often fell asleep during meals and classes; he couldn't remember ever actually attending a potions class. From what he'd heard though, he was decent at potions and all the problems and detentions were not actually his fault. Ron and Hermonie had told him frequently over the past year that Professor Snape hated him with a passion but he doubted it since he'd never actually met the man- he felt it was wrong to blindly judge others.

Harry followed Ron and Neville up to their new dorm room and found the bed where his trunk was. He showered and changed into his pajamas, "Night guys," he muttered as he crawled into bed. He fell asleep quickly, then, two and a half hours later, his eyes jumped open.

He slinked out of bed with perfect posture and gracefully strolled to his trunk- he pulled out his potions book, parchment, and quills. Supplies in hand, he silently strolled out of Gryffindor tower and made his way to his favorite place- the potions classroom. As usual, the door was both warded and locked; he muttered a few spells and the large door swung open. He chose his favorite chair, the one behind Professor Snape's desk, and sat down.

Quill in hand, he unrolled the parchment and began writing an essay on the properties and uses of Wolfsbane. Snape had yet to give this assignment but he knew the professor eventually would. A sigh broke his concentration and he looked up.

Severus Snape stood in the doorway leaning against the frame. "What, may I ask, are you doing?" said the professor.

He stood from behind the man's desk. "I'm studying potions professor," the boy murmured.

"Do not lie to me Potter!" Severus said with a slightly raised voice.

"Don't call me that, please. And why do you have to make things so damn difficult? I spend all my time trying to get you to like me but you're too 'effing blind to see it!" he ended his tirade by slamming his fist onto the desk.

"Really…Harry,"

"Harold, I prefer Harold," he interrupted Severus.

Severus rolled his eyes, "Alright…Harold, do you really think the best way to get me to like you is to act like an ass?" _Why the hell am I being nice to the boy, _Severus thought to himself, _right, I want to know the little bastard's secrets._

"Well," Harold began, "I look up to you, you know, kinda like a kid looks up to his father… we're very much alike you know. I want to be just like you when I grow up, brave and strong and smart." Harold yawned, "I should get to bed sir." He passed Severus on his way out the door and said, "Sleep well sir."

Severus was so stunned he could not bring himself to move. _Bloody hell! The boy looks up to me like a father figure? Something is officially wrong with that boy! _He rubbed his eyes then went back to bed.


	2. Chapter 2: Potter

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own

It had been a few days since the late-night encounter and all Severus could think about were the boy's words. "I look up to you," the words he'd never expected to hear repeated themselves over and over again in his head. He is not the type of person that anyone should look up to, especially not a child.

He'd been listening to the conversations at Gryffindor table very closely and never heard the boy be referred to as anything other than 'Harry' or 'Potter'. Perhaps he was the only person who knew the boy preferred 'Harold' to 'Harry'. Though, oddly enough, according to Dumbledore, the boy's name, according to his birth certificate, is Harry, just Harry not Harold. Why a person would extend their name instead of shortening it is beyond Severus.

_Harold is running late, _Severus thought to himself, _I wonder what Lockhart has him doing. _Just as he thought this, Harry came running in. One look at the boy and Severus knew something was wrong.

The boy sat in his usual spot between Granger and Weasley. Weasley put his hand on Harry's shoulder and caused him to jump. Harry then covered his head as if he expected to be hit. Severus raised his eyebrows, he'd never seen such a response from the boy and it bothered him. He could remember doing the same thing, instinctively covering his head at any sign of threat- he'd been beaten by his father too many times to not be afraid of being touched. That his student had the same reactions for possibly the same reason was concerning. _Would Albus really leave the boy in such an environment, _he questioned silently, _no! Certainly he learned his lesson with me. Still, _he sighed, _I should give the brat detention and check that he is alright._

Severus didn't have to give Harry detention for Harry showed up all on his own. It was two o'clock when the wards went off to alert Severus to a student's presence in his classroom. He quickly threw on jeans and a muggle sweatshirt instead of digging through his closet for robes.

As he suspected, Harry 'Harold' Potter sat behind his desk reading a book. "Hello Harold," said Severus.

"Hello Professor Snape," Harold replied.

Severus pulled up a chair and sat on the opposite side of the desk. He sighed; this is most certainly a conversation that he does not want to have. "I was watching you at dinner this evening, you looked upset." Harold sighed and shrugged. "Damn it boy! It is two in the morning, just answer my question." He watched as Harold tightened and cowered.

"I…I'm sorry sir. I'll be good, I promise."

"Can you tell me why you were upset at dinner Harold?" asked Severus.

The boy looked up, "My name is Potter, not Harold." Severus nodded. "I was upset 'cause he's just like Uncle. "

"Lockhart?" asked Severus.

Potter nodded. "I don't like him, he's mean." He stared down at his hands then muttered, "What's your name sir?"

Severus was taken aback, he'd only been teaching the boy for the past year. "I'm Professor Snape, potion's master."

"Oh, ok," murmured Potter. "Are you my daddy?"

Severus blinked his eyes and grabbed the chair's armrests- he squeezed them until his knuckles turned white. _If I answer crudely he might withdraw but I don't want to be nice to him. _ He sighed, "No Potter, I'm not your father. May I inquire as to why you thought I was?"

Potter frowned and started to tear up, "You don't want me either then! Why are you being nice to me if you don't want me?" he jumped to his feet and let out a sob.

Severus choked, "I uhm… I … want you. You are a good boy." It was painful for him to say this but Potter automatically calmed down.

Once the boy stopped crying he sat on Severus' knee causing Severus to tense and shake slightly. The boy wrapped his arms around Severus' neck and rested his head under the professor's chin.

_What the hell is this kid doing? _He internally pondered. _He must be the only person in this 'effing school who is dense enough to think that I do hugs! _He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying something that the boy in his lap would react poorly to.

After ten minutes of the one-sided hug, Severus gave in and gently rested his arms on the boy's back. They sat like this for an hour and twenty minutes, then Potter reluctantly removed himself from Severus' lap. "I need to go to bed," Potter said while yawning. "Good night daddy," he whispered.

Severus started shaking again- this boy was doing a good job of making him feel uncomfortable. "Yes, yes," he paused, "sleep well." Potter left but Severus did not move. He mentally reviewed what he'd learned: the boy's uncle had abused him, Lockhart was making the boy feel threatened, and, apparently, the boy, for some odd reason, felt safe around him. "What the fuck is going on? Please, god, tell me this is just a prank!" he muttered aloud. He stood and walked absentmindedly to his quarters and neither locked nor warded his classroom's door.

Inside his quarters, he retrieved a bottle of fire whiskey, a glass, a piece of parchment, and a pen (he'd never particularly liked quills), then placed them on his desk. He filled his glass with the liquor and titled the page 'Harry James Potter'. He then started listing what he knew.

Harry- shy, quiet, appears to be well mannered

Harold- bold, bratty, likes to study in my classroom, looks up to me

Potter- timid, shows signs of abuse, wants my (and probably others) approval, childish- he hugged me! then called me daddy! Highly emotional

He stopped writing and reviewed his list. It was odd seeing the boy act like one of three separate and distinct people depending on the time of day. However, the symptoms sounded familiar, _some sort of muggle disease perhaps, _he thought to himself.

He downed two more glasses of fire whisky, left the list on his desk, then returned to his bed where he stared at the ceiling until morning.


	3. Chapter 3: James

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own

Hi guys,

Thank you for all the follows! This chapter is a little short- sorry. In one of the comments it is noted that this story is slightly bizarre, I just couldn't think of any other way to write this fic. If it gets too bizarre, please tell me. This chapter has a lot of swear words, sorry but that's just how this personality likes to express himself.

Thanks again for all the follows and reviews,

AM

Severus spent all day Saturday doing research; unfortunately the psychology books he had in his private library were a few decades old. He came across a condition called MPD- Multiple Personality Disorder- in his books but when he checked the Hogwarts library he could not find the condition. _I must be missing something, _he thought.

By the end of the day, Severus had to resort to asking Poppy Pomfrey. "Well," she said, "yes, of course I've heard of it. However, over the years the medical name for the condition has changed from MPD to DID: Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"Ah," Severus said as he walked out the door. Poppy rolled her eyes at her co-worker's behavior.

He returned to the library to search for information on DID and took notes on the information in the medical encyclopedia.

one of the essential features of DID is full dissociation/switching between distinct personality states

at least two separate personality states

82% of DID patients are diagnosed with at least one DSM Axis 1 diagnosis in their lifetime

Common Axis 1 co-morbidities include: anxiety disorders such as PTSD; social phobia; panic disorders; OCD; mood disorders; eating disorders; somatoform disorders (physical symptoms that suggest physical illness or injury)

ANP: Apparently Normal Personalities which are responsible for day to day functioning and tend to have blunted physiological responses and reduced emotions

EP: Emotional Personalities which are responsible for survival situations involving Fight or Flight reflexes, vivid traumatic memories, and strong, painful emotions

Severe sexual, physical, or psychological trauma in childhood caused by a primary caregiver is a proposed explanation for DID

Dissociation becomes a coping mechanism for the individual during times of stress

Satisfied with his progress, he returned to his chambers. He thought for a moment that it would be good to inform Albus and Minerva of Harry Potter's mental condition but immediately changed his mind. _This is a puzzle, telling them would take away all the fun! And I would have to share the whole 'I look up to you' 'you're my daddy' thing. _He mentally argued with himself. _Yes, I'll keep this to myself._

In potions class the next day, all Severus did was bite his tongue. His snakes were harassing Harry and he didn't want the boy to react poorly or freak out, nor did he want his snakes to report to their parents that he was being nice to the Boy-Who-Lived.

Half way through the lesson, Harry lost it. He jumped to his feet, "Shut your mouth you fucking bastard!" he yelled at Malfoy. Harry's words brought the entire class to a halt. "How do you think daddy would like to hear that his precious little shit eater has worse manners than the muggle borns. Or perhaps he'd like to know how you've been making eyes at Hermonie and staring at Professor Lockhart's ass!" By the time he finished yelling, he noticed that Malfoy was shaking and that the Slytherins had moved away from their classmate.

Severus was unsure what to do, so in his haste to meet this new alter, before he disappeared, he ended class half an hour early. "Potter, stay," he said as the students raced out the door. As soon as everyone was gone, Severus spoke to the boy. "What's your name," he asked.

The boy sneered, "James. Why the hell do you want to know?"

Severus was slightly taken aback. All the other personalities had been pleasant (loathe he was to admit it). "I need to know because I'm trying to help you, you little shit!" he yelled at the boy.

James began fidgeting, "How did you know? Not even Harry and Harold know that we're here. How did a pea-brain like you figure it out?" James looked outright mean- like the type of kid who bullied both children and adults.

"Well James, so far I've met you, Harold, and Potter." Severus replied.

"And Harry," James interrupted.

Severus shook his head, "I don't believe I have met Harry."

"Oh right," James said, "I forgot. Harry's not strong enough to deal with you or your class- quite too stupid he is, for that matter. That's why he and Harold share. Little Harry is too fucking stupid and dependent to function on his own, that's why we take care of the bastard. I have it easy though. Harold takes care of the everyday stuff; he really is a pain in the ass though. Apparently you, the uber meat head, figured that out all by yourself."

Severus groaned, so far James was his least favorite personality. _At least I've gotten some useful information out of this one, _he mused. "So," said Severus, "how many of you are there?"

James glared at his professor as if he was offended by the question. "None of your god damn fucking business!" he screamed as he stomped out the door.

Severus shook his head. _Man, it's going to be a long year. _

Once again, sorry for the swearing and crudeness- it's just part of the James personality. I put in the notes for many reasons, mostly because it made sense to put them there. If they helped you understand the story any better then that's great. The notes are the ones I gathered while doing research for this fic.

There was a lot of Harry bashing in this one, sorry. It wasn't all false though, just distorted. I plan on having Harry have some sort of learning impairment.

Until tomorrow…


	4. Chapter 4: Tom

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own

In this episode, the title character does not actually make an appearance. Slightly evil Dumbledore…. Thank you for all the reviews and follows.

AM

The next month and a half was fairly calm. James didn't make any more appearances- the Slytherins had decided to leave Harry alone since James' outburst.

Severus had spent most of his evenings brewing with Harold. Not only was the boy good company, he was decent at brewing as well. Even though he'd spent a lot of time with the boy, he'd learned nothing new. While Potter had occasionally made a few appearances, no new alters had come forth.

Halloween arrived. At midnight, October 31, Severus heard a knock on his door. He answered it with a scowl on his lips; the scowl disappeared when he saw who stood behind the door. "Ah, Harold, I was not expecting you until after the feast."

The boy shook his head, "I'm not Harold, I'm Potter. I'm in control on this day every year because they died today. Aunt always has a party- I'm the only one who can handle it."

Severus nodded and invited the boy in. "Would you like any food or drink?" he asked.

Potter shook his head as he sat down on one of the large couches. "Tom's made a takeover."

Severus raised his eyebrows, "Who is Tom?" he asked.

"Tom is the oldest, besides Harry. He's even older than Freak. You haven't met Freak, but he'd like you. Tom mostly sleeps and has never taken control before. I don't know him very well." He paused a moment. "Sorry daddy. I gotta go. James wants to talk to you."

He sighed, "Yes, yes, I will see you later Potter."

The boy's eyes fluttered shut then opened. "'Sup dumbass?" he said.

Severus rolled his eyes. _Why did it have to be James? _"I'm fine James," he said, "how are you?"

James shrugged, "Fine. Potty told you about Tommy boy I suppose." Severus nodded. "The problem with him taking control is he's different. Not one of us. The bastard's a fucking E.T. None of us know where he came from exactly other than he came from the fiery depths of hell." He glanced around the room, "Interesting," he said, "no skulls or body parts. So, where's the kitchen?"

Severus sighed then stood. "Come along." The boy stood and followed him to the kitchen. "Sit," he pointed at the table. "I'm thinking grilled cheese and tomato soup. Is that acceptable?" James nodded and Severus snapped his fingers.

As they ate, Severus spoke. "So, tell me more about Tom."

James sighed, "I told you already dude, he's the fucking spawn of Satin. When he's awake all he talks about is hurting people and killing the damn muggles. Like I said, he's not one of us. None of us like the fucking bastard."

Severus considered this a moment. _A homicidal personality who just happens to be named Tom… coincidence? I think not! _"Do you know why Tom has started to take control?" he asked.

James scowled, "I'm not stupid, old man! There's this voice- a voice that apparently none of the dipshits here can hear. It keeps saying "kill, kill." I think it's talkin' Parsletounge. Tom keeps sayin' that his plan has been put into place even though he's one shit shy of sane. Freak's scared… so is Potty. They want the big, ugly, potions master to give 'em a hug."

Said "big, ugly, potions master" was fuming, James was stepping on his last nerve. He resisted the urge to strangle the boy. "Is there anything else you need, James?" he asked.

James snorted and stood up, "I don't need anything from you!" He grinned at Severus, "See you later asshole." He ran out the door at top speed.

Severus shook with rage. _God, I hate that kid!_

By the time he'd calmed down, he was once again thinking about telling Albus. If Tom Riddle had anything to do with this then Albus should know. But Severus suspected that if Albus knew part of Tom Riddle was inside Harry Potter's body, he would either kill the boy or lock him up. He knew Albus would destroy the piece of Tom's soul even if he had to forfeit the light side's poster boy. He had to choose, protect Lilly's child or protect the school. For him it wasn't a hard decision. _The world and everyone in it can burn in hell for all I care so long as the boy survives. _


	5. Chapter 5: Halloween

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own

Most students by the time they had reached third or fourth year had realized Professor Severus Snape absolutely hated Halloween. And for the most part, the little dunderheads were smart enough to leave him alone. However, the same could not be said of the other professors. Severus attended neither meals nor staff meetings that day and nobody said a word about it.

He'd decided to take a stroll as soon as the feast began knowing that he would not encounter any students. Oh how wrong he was.

As he was passing a girl's lavatory, he heard a scream. _Damn that Moaning Murtle, _he thought as he moved toward the noise. Inside the bathroom stood Harry Potter; hissing at a sink. "What do you think you are doing?" he yelled at the boy.

The boy turned around. His eyes were red as blood; his lips curved up into a wicked grin and he tilted his head to the side. "May I help you, sir?" he asked with a kind sounding voice.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Tom, I presume."

Tom started shaking. He screamed and the whole room shook. Severus ran back out the door to avoid a slew of spells being cast his way.

The boy continued to scream then started swearing at Moaning Murtle. Severus heard Tom yell "mudblood" over and over again as he snuck into the lavatory and hid behind the sinks. Tom was radiating maroon colored energy. Not even Dumbledore could match it for more than a few minutes but Severus was certain he could match it long enough to get the boy under control. The only problem was getting close enough to the boy to implement his plan.

He came out of his hiding spot and jumped at the boy only to be hit with a cruciatus curse. Tom only managed to hold the curse for a few minutes. When he released the curse, Severus jumped up and tackled him. Severus began radiating at the same level as the boy meanwhile muttering calming spells. Eventually, the boy calmed down and stilled. Severus checked that he hadn't accidently harmed the boy. He found the boy's pulse then collapsed next to him and shut his eyes.

Severus woke a few hours later feeling completely drained. It took him a moment to figure out why he could not move- there was someone draped across his chest. He shifted slightly, trying to get the boy off him.

"No 'm sweeping," the boy mumbled.

"I understand that," said Severus, "but I would prefer to sleep in a bed- preferably my own bed." _Alone! _He silently added.

The boy rolled off his professor and trembled. "I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean to be bad!" he whispered as he braced himself for punishment.

Severus sat up, making sure not to touch the boy. "It's alright Potter, I'm not mad. I just really, really hate Halloween. That and my back hurts." Potter nodded as he moved closer to the professor. "Good boy. How about we return to my quarters and have something to eat." Potter nodded and licked his lips.

After they ate, Severus sent Potter back to Gryffindor Tower. Unfortunately for Severus, Potter would not leave without a hug. As soon as Potter left, Severus hurried to his private lab and retrieved an anti- cruciatus potion. He drowned it and went to bed hoping his boss (or anyone else for that matter) would not disturb him.

At eleven, when the feast ended, Severus was summoned by one of his prefects. He quickly threw on his robes and hurried through the corridors. He arrived at his destination to find the golden trio being questioned by McGonagall. Filtch's cat, Mrs. Norris, hung by her tail either dead or petrified. Behind her, written in blood, were the words 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.' He heard Draco Malfoy yell, "You'll be next mudbloods!"

He clamped his eyes shut, offended and embarrassed by his student's words. "Potter, come with me," he said.

McGonagall frowned, "Severus, we need to take them to the Headmaster."

"I know," he replied, "Potter and I will meet you there." He turned on his heel and stormed away. Potter followed.

In his quarters, they sat across from each other in his living room. "Are you there Potter?" he asked.

"I'm here daddy," Potter responded, "I'm sorry Tom hurt you earlier."

Severus stuttered for a moment, "Ye…yes, thank you. Why were you not in Gryffindor Tower?" he asked.

Potter bit his lip. "I'm sorry. Harry took control, I couldn't stop him."

Severus nodded, "Alright, I understand. Did Tom have anything to do with any of this?"

Potter shook his head and spoke, "No daddy, he's been out cold since the bathroom thing."

Severus grimaced, he wasn't fond of the child's name for him. "Good, good. Now we need to go to Dumbledore's office. If he assigns you detention, which I highly doubt, I will supervise. Now let's go."

Thank you all for the reviews and follows on the last chapter- you guys have made my day (again). I hope Tom lived up to your expectations; he'll probably get nastier in the upcoming chapters. This chapter also responds to a challenge on Potions and Snitches about Severus being on the same power level as Harry. This is in many ways a filler chapter. Sorry it was short again.

Thanks again for the reviews and follows!

Aurelia Maddox


	6. Chapter 6: Harry

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own

Harry woke to Filtch yelling at Dumbledore. "If he killed my cat, I'll kill him. I'm gonna kill him!" Harry's eyes widened as he realized Filtch was talking about him.

"Now, now," said Dumbledore, "I'm sure Mr. Potter had nothing to do with this. I believe Severus has an alibi for Mr. Potter."

Severus nodded, "He ate in my quarters."

McGonagall gasped. "He a…ate with you?" she asked. "Why?"

Severus scoffed. "Perhaps, Headmistress, he ate with me because we dislike Halloween for the same reason." McGonagall looked confused, she'd yet to understand what Severus meant.

"But Harry," Ron spoke up, "why don't you like Halloween?"

Harry gulped then frowned. "My parents died on Halloween, Ron." McGonagall gasped, she'd completely forgotten about the Potters. After a few more minutes of discussion, the students were sent to bed.

Harry lay in bed contemplating his new friend, Severus Snape. _He's nice; he was the only one who remembered that they died today. It's too bad I slept through dinner; I would've liked to get to know the professor. Why don't Hermonie and Ron like him? _He continued thinking about why his friends don't like Severus Snape when it dawned on him._ I'll just go ask him myself. _

He slipped out of Gryffindor tower with his invisibility cloak on. Once in the dungeons, he realized that he didn't know where the professor's quarters were; he decided to try the potions classroom.

Three minutes later, Severus stormed into the classroom to find Harry Potter sitting on the floor. _Not Harold then._ "Excuse me," he said, "what are you doing?"

Harry stood and faced the man. "Hello sir, I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you," he extended his right hand.

The older of the two rolled his eyes then shook the boy's hand. "Hello Mr. Potter, I'm Professor Snape."

"Yes sir, I know who you are," said Harry. "I have a question for you sir, but I don't want you to be offended." He took a deep breath. "Why is it sir, that my friends and everyone else say mean things about you? Now that we've met I know they're wrong about you. It just really bothers me that they would lie about you. I don't think it's very nice to judge people before you really get to know them, don't you agree?"

"Yes, of course I agree." Severus paused; no one had ever been offended by people bullying him except for Lilly. _He is Lilly's son after all. _"I appreciate your sentiments Mr. Potter but they are unnecessary. I am a bastard. Your friends are not lying to you."

Harry shook his head, "That can't be true sir," he said. "I mean, you've been so nice. You don't seem at all like a bastard."

"Thanks, I suppose. Is there anything else you need?" he asked.

Harry's eyes got wide, he spoke. "I'm so sorry sir. I didn't mean to keep you up late. And…I'm sorry I always sleep through your class. I really do like potions; I'm just not very smart. So I'm sorry for that too." He ducked his head and moved toward the exit.

"Wait a moment." Severus sighed; _I can't believe I'm doing this! _"Why do you think you are stupid? You are a very talented wizard."

"But I can't read, how can I be talented if I can't read?" he asked with a confused look.

Severus was equally confused. "You can't read. Have you not attended primary school?" The boy shook his head. "No English, history, science, or mathematics then?" Once again, the boy shook his head. Severus sighed, "I'll show you to my quarters and give you a temporary password which will change every week. Do not ever share the password with anyone! You will report to my quarters every day at six for lessons. If anyone asks, tell them that you have remedial potions. Now go!"

"Thank you, sir!" Harry ran back to Gryffindor tower grinning like an idiot.

This is definitely my shortest chapter yet. I really wanted to introduce Harry. Thank you all for the reviews and follows, you guys are doing a good job at keeping me inspired. Hopefully I'll post again tomorrow.

Aurelia Maddox


	7. Chapter 7: Phonics

Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own

Harry arrived in Severus' office at six o'clock as instructed. Severus stood from behind his desk, "Your password for the week is gillyweed. Now come along." They walked through the corridors to the far end of the dungeons and stopped in front of the portrait of Salazar Slytherin.

"Who do you have with you, Severus?" the portrait asked.

"This, Salazar, is Harry Potter," replied Severus.

Harry stepped forward and lowered his gaze, "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Slytherin." Salazar nodded and swung open, allowing them entrance. Harry gazed about, _this room is wonderful. _The walls were blue instead of black and there were no skeletons. _Few, I'm glad he's a normal person. _

Severus sat with Harry at the table. "Have you learned the alphabet and what sounds the letters make?"

"A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, lmno, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z. Right?"

The professor nodded, "Good job. Do you know all the sounds each letter makes?" Harry shook his head. "We will start with phonics then," said Severus. While he was teaching the boy, he took notes for him.

A: apple, apes, later,

B: bear, bean, boy,

C: call, couch, cold,

D: dad, dog, day,

E: each, every, men,

F: from, free, fall,

G: god, great, green,

H: hurry, hold, hot, have,

I: indigo, it, irritate, imp,

J: jump, jog, jam, jelly,

K: kick, kill, cake, make,

L: luck, loose, lump, last,

M: match, mom, may, man,

N: next, new, now,

O: once, only, one, look, book,

P: patch, pay, up, pad,

Q: quill, quest, quick,

R: red, ran, rally, later,

S: sound, stay, bass,

T: today, tent, tilt, rent,

U: uncle, up, use, you,

V: vex, have, very,

W: wind, win, why, what,

X: xeno, hex,

Y: you, yet, yellow, young,

Z: zap, zen, wizard,

"I want you to practice saying these," said Severus.

After an hour of phonics, Severus decided to switch mathematics. "Harry, can you tell me what two plus two is?" Harry thought about it a moment, does he know what two plus two is? He shook his head. "Alright then," said Severus, "we will start with addition."

He paused a moment, _how does one teach a child addition quickly and easily? _"Can you count to one hundred?" the boy shook his head. Severus wrote down some notes for him.

1 one

2 two

3 three

4 four

5 five

6 six

7 seven

8 eight

9 nine

10 ten

"These are the first ten numbers you will learn. Repeat after me; one."

"One."

"Two."

"Two."

They continued on like this for half an hour and Severus taught Harry how many fingers correspond to each number. Harry stumbled through the lesson, the numbers were hard for him to pronounce. "How many numbers am I?" he asked the professor.

Severus smiled sadly, "You mean 'how many years old am I?'" Harry nodded. "You Harry," said Severus, "are twelve years old. Twelve is ten plus two." Harry's lips formed an '0'. "Do not worry it, we will get to addition later," he said as he picked up the parchment. "And practice writing the letters and numbers."

Harry smiled, "I will sir, I promise." He yawned as he stood up; parchment in hand he walked to the door. "Thank you sir," he yelled as he opened the door and left.

Severus leaned back in his chair; _this is going to be harder than I thought. _

Harry sat at a table in the common room practicing his letters. Hermonie sat down next to him, "What are you doing?" she asked.

He hesitated a moment before answering her, "Can you keep a secret?" he asked, she nodded her head. "I can't read so Professor Snape is teaching me. You can't tell anyone though."

Hermonie looked shocked, "But Harry, it's illegal not to send a child school." Harry just shrugged at this. "Oh, don't worry Harry. I'll help and we'll have you reading like a pro in no time." Harry smiled; he knew she'd help him. "So what are you working on?" she asked.

"I'm practicing my letters, did you know they all make different sounds?" he replied.

Hermonie nodded, "Yes, I do. So just out of curiosity, how have you been doing your homework?"

Harry laughed. "That's easy Hermonie!" he said, "I enchant a quill and it writes what I say."

She gasped, "How could I have been so stupid, that makes perfect sense." She slapped her head. "Can I help you study or do you want me to leave you be?" she asked.

He nodded his head, "I'd love to study with you." He gave her a genuine smile.

"Good," said Hermonie, "let's start at A and make our way through the alphabet."


	8. Chapter 8: Minerva intervenes

Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own

Minerva McGonagall was worried, extremely worried. Her favorite lion, Harry Potter, was spending his evenings with Severus Snape. That could be a dangerous combination. There was a knock on her door, "Enter," she yelled.

Hermione Granger entered not a moment late for their appointment. "You wanted to see me, professor."

"Please sit," said Minerva, Hermione complied. "I have some questions for you, Ms. Granger. You are aware that Mr. Potter has been spending his evenings with Professor Snape, I assume." Hermione nodded. "I don't suppose you know why?" she asked.

"Well," started Hermione, "it's really complicated. All I know is that Harry never learned to read or write so the professor is teaching him. I think there is something more though, I think there is something going on with Harry."

Minerva was silent, what could she say? _How did I not notice that he couldn't read? Why didn't Severus tell me? _She clasped her hands together and placed them on her desk. "When did you become aware of this?" she asked her student.

"The first night Harry brought home words to practice," said Hermione. "I've been helping him ever since."

The older woman sighed, "That's very kind of you Ms. Granger. Do you have any idea what else might be going on with Mr. Potter?" she asked hoping the girl could at least give her some ideas.

Hermione frowned, she didn't want to disappoint her head of house but she honestly had no idea. "I'm so sorry professor. I really do not know."

She took a deep breath; _this must be a complex mystery for Granger to have no idea. I guess I'll just have to ask Severus. _"Thank you Ms. Granger, you may leave now."

Severus was in his private lab brewing when the door flew open and Minerva stormed in. "May I help you headmistress?" he asked.

"I want to know what is going on with Mr. Potter. Granger all ready told me about you tutoring him in reading and writing,"

"And math," he interrupted her.

"Yes, and math. Something else is going on though, I want to know what."

He grimaced, "Fine. But only if you swear the wizard's oath not to tell Dumbledore."

She gasped, wouldn't Dumbledore need to know in order to protect the boy? She held out the end of her wand. "I swear on my magic that I will never tell Albus Dumbledore or any of his affiliates any of the information you are about to disclose to me about Harry Potter."

Severus touched the end of her wand with the tip of his. "Very well then," he said. "Harry Potter is currently suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. You can look it up. I have, so far, met five of the personalities; Harry, Harold, Potter, James, and Tom. Harry is shy, quiet, well mannered, and cannot read; I believe he is the one you are most familiar with. Harold is very smart- perhaps more so than Granger- strong willed, witty and brave; he's the hero. And apparently, he looks up to me. Potter is an emotional personality; he deals with pain, and likes to call me daddy. James is also an emotional personality; he's a rude, obscene, pain in my ass. Then there is Tom; he is not one of Harry's alters. I believe he may be Tom Riddle."

Minerva trembled, "Do you have proof of Tom actually being you-know-who? And how do we fix this?" she asked.

"I get to know the personalities and eventually get Harry to associate with them." With a sad smile on his lips, he nodded. "The little bastard put me under the cruciatus curse. He was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom hissing at the sinks."

She began trembling again, scared at the thought of Tom Riddle being back. "Do you think?" she muttered.

"I do," he replied. "Tom Riddle was attempting to open the Chamber of Secrets."

"I understand now why Dumbledore needs to be kept in the dark. He'd probably kill the boy if he knew." She whispered this to himself.

"My thoughts exactly," said Severus.

She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, _what a day! _"Do keep me informed," she said. She then left.


	9. Chapter 9: Freak

Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I do not own

Hey guys, sorry it's been a few days. I don't know when I'll be able to post again- I leave on vacation Thursday. I do not believe in child abuse and the first part was kind of difficult to write. No, I do not have malicious thoughts about children nor would I ever rape/abuse one. Especially considering I'm only 16. Sorry if this chapter makes you uncomfortable. Hope you enjoy.

Gilderoy Lockhart had known at age five that he was queer. He'd never thought that he would teach (in his younger years he would have rather been caught dead), much less that he would teach anyone that could make him take at least one cold shower a day.

He called on said student, "Potter, would you kindly tell me how to defeat a Mountain Troll."

Harry's eyes shut; when they opened his demeanor changed slightly. Harold had taken over. "Well professor, I've found it is best to have a young lady distract the troll while you jump on its back and stick your wand up its nose. While it is swinging its club at you, your best mate Wingardium-leviosa's its club then drops said club on the ugly brute's head." Harold smirked as a few people gasped; he'd given one hell of an answer.

Lockhart smirked, "Wrong! Detention with me, tonight."

Harry was completely unaware of his detention until dinner when Ron told Fred and George about class that day. "And he basically told Lockhart the story of how we took out the troll last year and then Lockhart called bullshit and gave him detention. Can you believe it?"

Harry spat out his pumpkin juice. "I…I have detention tonight?"

Hermione looked concerned, _does he not remember? _She spoke, "You have detention with Lockhart after dinner." Harry's lips formed an '0'.

He arrived in Lockhart's office directly after dinner to find the man boxer-clad and sitting behind his desk. He backed himself into a corner as the man stood and approached him. "No, please no. Freak be good. Freak be good!" he pleaded with the man. Lockhart continued moving toward him and reached out his hand.

He screamed. His burst of magic shattered all the glass in the tiny office and Lockhart's eardrums, caused the man's desk to explode, and sent said man flying backward into the opposing wall. Lockhart hit the wall with a sickening 'Crack'. He curled up into the fetal position and trembled knowing that the man would beat the shit out of him when said man woke.

Severus paced back and forth in his quarters, _something must be wrong. The boy is never late. _He waited another fifteen minutes before storming out of his quarters intent on going to Gryffindor tower. The boy really had no excuse; he'd scheduled an appointment with both Harry and Harold at the same time after all.

On his way to the next set of stairs, he heard a whimper. This whimper sounded familiar. He walked toward the noise, curiosity had won him over. Since the door to the room was closed, he politely knocked before throwing the door open.

He was not prepared for what he saw. The desk had violently exploded leaving shards of wood in the walls. At the other end of the room lay Lockhart; his limbs skewed at unnatural angles and his neck clearly broken. The man stayed, unmoving, where he was- clearly dead- as Severus moved toward the boy lying on the floor.

"Hello there," he said.

The boy froze. "Freak be good," said the boy, "please don't hurt Freak."

Severus coughed; the scene was bringing back his more painful memories. "It is ok, young one. I swear on my magic that I will never hurt you." He sighed, _dear god, I do not want to do this! _"I'm your daddy. I would never, ever, hurt my sweet boy."

The boy stopped shaking, "Daddy," he whispered.

"Yes, I'm daddy." He bent down and picked the little one up. "So what is your name little one?"

"I is Freak."

"No," he said as calmly as possible, "you are most certainly not a freak. Now let us give you a proper name." Severus' wheels started to turn, _what is a good name for a child? _

Thankfully, the boy beat him to it. "I's wanna be Sevie, like daddy."

Severus was taken aback, _the boy wants my name? _He forced himself to smile, "Alright. Sevie it is then. Sevie buried his head deeper into Severus' robes.

Severus sent a patronus to Minerva then stood and carried Sevie down to his quarters. He treated the boy to dessert and had a long cuddle session with him before calling Potter out.

"Hello daddy," said Potter. "You want me to speak to Dumbledore, right? I'll tell him Lockhart tried to rape me and that I killed him by accident. Do you hate me for killing him?" he asked nervously.

"I will never hate you Potter. Now come along, you need to speak to the headmaster."

Potter sat fidgeting in a chair in Dumbledore's office listening to Professor McGonagall cry. Dumbledore looked as though he might join her.

Once she had finally calmed down, McGonagall spoke. "I know you don't want to talk about it Harry but can you verify that Lo…Lockhart did in fact try to rape you?"

Potter exhaled slowly, "Yes. When I arrived in his office, Lockhart was sitting behind his desk wearing nothing but his under shorts. He got up and moved toward me. I tried not to hurt him but he tried to touch me. I couldn't handle it. S…."

Severus cut him off, "Do not apologize. You did nothing wrong."

McGonagall once again broke down and started crying. Dumbledore cleared his throat, "I think that is enough for now. Thank you Harry," he said. "Severus could you…" he pointed to Potter.

Severus inclined his head, "Of course. Come along Potter."

They returned to Severus' quarters where they sat on the couch. Well, to be more accurate: Severus sat on the couch; Harry sat on the older man's lap. Neither of them spoke, they sat unmoving until Potter fell asleep. Severus tried to stand but found he was too tired to move. He eventually gave in and fell asleep, Potter still in his arms.


	10. Chapter 10: Christmas

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Sorry it's been a while, I was at a college camp for the past week. I decided to avoid the Dumbledore conflict. Hope you enjoy.

'_Lockhart dead'_was the heading on the Daily Prophet. Severus grinned as he leaned back in his chair. _Justice! __'Lockhart was killed by a burst of accidental magic while attempting to rape a student,' he_ read. _'Our condolences go out to the victimized student and his/her family.' _ To say that the Wizarding World was shocked would be an understatement.

Albus had taken an interest in Harry Potter over the weeks since the incident and Severus was extremely concerned. There had been a few more incidents where students and staff had been petrified; Albus was starting to suspect student involvement.

Severus knew it was only a matter of time until the much older man discovered that he was tutoring the boy. When this happens, he will probably be sent to Azkaban and the boy killed- this is unacceptable. _I should get everything ready for when we inevitably have to leave the country. Yes, I'll get passports made for…Alekzander and Sebastian Prince and get all of Harry's alters to agree to go by Sebastian. It won't be easy…this will have to work. _

A month and a half later Severus had everything set- they were going to disappear over Christmas break. Minerva had been passing along messages to him and apparently Albus had arranged for an 'accident' to occur the first day of term. Harry Potter would be sent into hiding, never to be seen again.

Thankfully, all of the alters had agreed to go by some form of Sebastian Alekzander Prince. He'd formed a list so he wouldn't forget.

Harry- Seb

Harold- Sebastian

Potter- Prince

James- Zander

Sevie- Alek

Severus had even found a job and a place for them to live. He'd taken a job teaching chemistry at a high school in Seattle, Washington; attending a Muggle college and getting his Masters had made the job search much easier. He'd even gone as far as to purchase a high-rise flat in his school district.

Minerva knew they were going to leave the country but she had no idea where they were going or that Severus had blood adopted Harry. Not even Harry or the alters knew about the adoption. But he knew he'd done the right thing- no one could take Harry away now.

Christmas break had finally arrived, not soon enough in Harry's opinion. He was so excited to run away with Professor Snape that he could barely contain himself. No one had ever taken care of him before, except for his professor. Because of this he knew his professor would help him with his problems. While Harry would never admit it, he knew there was something wrong with him- always had been always would be.

He was most worried about his sleeping disorder. Falling asleep then waking up days later is abnormal and he knows it. But he'd promised himself he wouldn't tell his professor- he knew he'd already asked too much of the kind man.

It had been hard but he'd convinced all of the Gryffindors to go home for the holiday- he'd sent presents with his friends. Tucked inside each present was a note explaining that he loved them and that they would never see each other again. Hermione and Ron would be sad but it's for the best.

He strolled through the halls dragging his trunk taking note of everything in hopes of never forgetting the first place he'd ever called home. In no time at all he was knocking on his professor's door.

The door swung open and Harry entered. He took one last look at the barren room then allowed his professor to drag him into the floo.

Harry Potter left Hogwarts forever as Sebastian Prince stepped into Heathrow Airport.


	11. Chapter 11: Home

Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Two chapters in one day…

Sebastian Prince entered Heathrow Airport in a state of awe- he'd never been in an airport before. He glanced over at his professor, _no! he's dad now, _and thought about how weird it was to see the man in Muggle clothing. Alekzander Prince wore black jeans with a green jumper and had his hair pulled back- he looked nothing like Severus Snape. Seb wondered what the man had done to make them look different yet so alike.

"Seb?"

He looked up, "Yes father?" said Seb.

Alekzander smirked, "I'd prefer dad. Would you like some fro yo? It's my favorite."

Seb froze in his tracks, _what the hell is a fro yo? _"I'd like to try one," he said.

They snacked on their strawberry fro yo as they walked toward their gate and ended up at the gate early. Seb sat with his nose plastered to the window staring at the 737 they were about to fly on.

Alekzander took the moments of silence to think. _I think maybe he's improving; he hasn't changed between personalities at all today. I wonder how he's going to take it when I explain that he can't use magic and that we are going to be living as Muggles. Oh shit, we skipped Christmas! _"Uhm, Seb… was there anything you wanted to do for Christmas?"

Seb looked up, "All I wanted to do was run away with you. Why? Did you want to exchange presents? I don't normally do Christmas, ya know."

He sighed, _thank you god, or whatever deity is looking out for me. _"That works. To be honest I don't celebrate it either- that's why I completely forgot about it." He went back to his thoughts until the lady at the gate announced that the plane was boarding. He stood, "Come on, Seb. Time to board." Seb stood and followed him onto the plane, silently saying good bye to England.

Three connections later, they landed in Seattle. _Home, _thought Alekzander as he stared up at the gray sky. It fit with his color palette quite well.

"It's really pretty here…dad," said Seb.

Alekzander grinned, "I'm glad. I went to college about six hours from here, you know. That's the reason I chose to move us here- Washington's more of a home to me than Hogwarts is." Seb was listening so intently that he walked head on into a man. Alekzander grabbed Seb's shoulder. "I'm terribly sorry sir, my son is just excited. Now come along Seb, we have a subway to catch."

He released his grip on the boy's shoulder then reached down and grabbed the boy's hand. When they reached the flat, he relinquished his grasp.

Seb grinned through the entire tour but froze when they reached his bedroom. "I can't accept this sir; you've already been so kind. Just give me the closet and I'll be happy."

Alekzander froze, _they made him live in a fucking closet? _He knelt so that he was at eye level with the boy. "Listen to me Seb, you are a good boy. You deserve to have your own bedroom, good food, and nice clothes. We'll go shopping later today for clothes and such." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the boy's trunk then resized it. "Here you go, unpack then meet me down stairs and we'll go shopping." He checked his watch, "Will half an hour do?" he asked.

Seb nodded then got to work unpacking.

As soon as Seb finished they took the subway back downtown. Their first stop was Sears. Alekzander took Seb to the boy's section. "Alright Seb, I want you to choose at least five trousers, three shorts, twenty shirts, and seven sets of underwear. Oh, and a few jackets or sweatshirts. I'll be right over there in the men's section."

With wide eyes, Seb nodded. He glanced around and checked a few price tags. _Not only are these nice, they're cheap too! _The grin returned to his lips as he fetched a shopping cart and began to fill it. Choosing trousers was easy; he grabbed three pairs of blue jeans- one dark, one faded, and one stone washed- one pair of black jeans, and one pair of kakis. It was even easier to choose shorts; he grabbed two pairs of brown and one pair of black. He chose mostly t-shirts and polo's in an assortment of colors and a few long sleeve button ups. Then of course there were underpants and sweatshirts. _I hope he likes what I picked out as much as I do. _

A few minutes later, Alekzander arrived with his own shopping cart. "Are you ready to check out Seb?"

He nodded, "Yes dad, I'm ready."

Alekzander nodded then led Seb to the checkout. In the end, the total came to over $700 and Seb felt sick to his stomach. After they paid and Alekzander shrunk their bags, he spoke. "I'm so sorry sir; I didn't mean to spend so much. I'll pay you back I promise. I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," Alekzander interrupted. "We didn't spend nearly as much as I thought we would. And it's my job to provide for you now, that's what dads do. Just understand that neither of us will be getting new clothes for a while. Now we need to get school supplies." He looked around them, "We'll go to Staples. Have you had any problems with your school subjects lately?"

Seb shook his head, "No sir."

"Good."

It was nine o'clock when they arrived home with all their bags- they had clothes, school supplies, and food. They'd even stopped for dinner at Taco Bell- which Seb decided he loved.

They put away the food they'd bought together and organized the kitchen. When they finished, Alekzander spoke. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late." He ruffled the boy's hair. "Good night Seb. Sleep well."

Seb smirked, "You too sir." He ran with his bags upstairs to his room where he hung all of his clothes in his closet and organized his school supplies on his desk. Once he was satisfied with how everything looked he picked up the book he was supposed to read before school started. He flipped open the cover of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and began reading.


	12. Chapter 12: Group Meeting 1

Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own

I was asked to put in the names here so…

Harry- Seb

Harold- Sebastian

James- Zander

Potter- Prince

Freak/Sevie- Alek

Once the personalities have merged they will just go by Sebastian.

Thanks for the reviews!

Alekzander paced the length of the kitchen over and over again. They'd just arrived two days ago but he didn't think they could wait any longer. _Seb has to meet his alters. Maybe it can be done through legilimency…Prince seems to be aware of when each personality is 'awake'. If I can locate each of them sub-consciously I may be able to connect them and form them into one personality. _

"Sir," asked Seb "is something wrong."

He stopped. _Why didn't I hear him come in? Are my skills really lacking that much? _He smiled sadly, "I'm afraid so Seb. I need to tell you something. You'll be scared at first but I'll make it better, I promise."

Seb shook and started to silently cry. "I don't mean to be bad sir."

He shook his head, "You are not bad. You have Dissociative Identity Disorder. The abuse you suffered from your relatives has caused you to dissociate and create multiple personalities- this is the reason you fall asleep and have memory lapses. I've met all of your alters- there's you, Sebastian, Alek, Zander, and Prince. Then there's Tom but he doesn't really count."

Seb's tears dried and confusion flashed across his eyes. "Ok," he fiddled with his thumbs, "so what do we do about it?" he asked.

"Well," said Alekzander, "I think I know a way to fix it but you might feel some pain."

"I wanna do it," said Seb. "I wanna be normal."

"Take a few deep breaths then look into my eyes. Do your best to remain calm." Alekzander took a few deep breaths before entering the boy's mind.

Next thing he knew they were in a dimly lit room- it looked very much like a barrack. There were six cots total, three per wall, and five boys. Tom and Sebastian were both sound asleep but Alek, Prince, and Zander were fully active.

"What the hell do you want, dumbass?" shouted Prince.

Alek and Prince lifted their heads up. "Daddy," they screamed in unison as they jumped up and ran to him.

Seb began to tremble. "I don't understand. I…I…do…"

Alekzander grabbed his shoulder, "Seb! You must calm down. Stop shaking and everything will be explained to you." Seb clenched his fists and hyperventilated for a few moments before going still. "Good," said Alekzander, "now all we need to do is wake up Sebastian." He walked over to the cot and shook Sebastian softly. "Sebastian, I need you to wake up," he said.

Sebastian moaned. "Uhm k," he said. He rolled out of bed and sat next to Zander. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"I'll do the explaining, don't worry about it dad," said Prince. "So basically Seb, we're here to cope for you. All of the shit the Dursleys have done to you is too much for you to handle. Not a single one of us can handle it either- that's why there are so many of us. I've taken all of the beatings since we turned seven. Alek took the beatings and stuff before that. Zander's always taken the mental abuse- that's why he's so cold and rude. He's convinced he's unlovable and that no one will ever want him."

"Am not!" yelled Zander.

"Denial is a dangerous state of mind Zander," said Prince. "Anyways, uhm, right. Sebastian is, well, basically you only smarter and tougher skinned. Then there's Tom, but don't worry about him- he's not one of us. And then there's you of course. You're the personality that this body was born with. You're the one we, the rest of us that is, are here to protect. Well that's it. But if you want to merge you should start with Sebastian since the two of you are so alike. Then Alek, then Zander, and then me." Alekzander raised an eyebrow. "Oh," Prince continued, "uhm. I have the worst memories out of all of us."

Seb closed his eyes and meditated for a few minutes, it was a hell of a lot for him to take in all at once. "Oh, ok," said Seb, "so how do I do it? How do I, uhm, merge with Sebastian?" asked Seb.

There was a pregnant pause as everyone thought about it. "Well," said Prince, "you could try, like, holding hands and mind melding. Or something like that. Go on, try it."

Alekzander stood, "Sorry boys. We're going to have to leave after they merge. We wouldn't want to fry your brain would we?" he asked.

Prince and Alek jumped to their feet and ran to the older man. "Goodbye daddy," said Alek. "See you later dad," said Prince.

"Wait just one second boys," said Alekzander, "you need to decide on what you want to be called."

Seb and Sebastian looked at each other. "Sebastian," they said in unison. Alekzander nodded and the boys clasped hands and put their foreheads together. A glowing white light enveloped them and suddenly Sebastian and Alekzander were sitting back on the kitchen floor.

"Sebastian?"

"I'm here. I don't feel much different. But I have more memories and stuff." He paused a moment. "Did I really go after the Sorcerer's Stone? Do you really let me brew with you? Am I really that smart?" asked Sebastian.

Alekzander snorted. "Yes to all three. So how do you feel?" he asked.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Hungary," he said. "Why, how do you feel?"

"Oh ha-ha. You'd better tone down that wit of yours before school starts young man. Now come on, we need to eat breakfast."


	13. Chapter 13: Confessions

Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I do not own

Thanks for all of the reviews. I appreciate your support.

By dinner that day, Sebastian had one hell of a headache. He stumbled into the kitchen with his hands over his eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you sir," he said, "but would it be okay for me to skip dinner? And I was wondering if you have any pain relievers. My head kinda hurts."

Alekzander looked at the boy; _he looks like he's in a lot of pain. _"Are the lights bothering your eyes? Does my voice sound louder than normal? Do you feel like you might be sick?" When he saw the boy nod he stood and turned off the lights; he then closed the blinds. "Open your eyes."

Sebastian opened his eyes, "That's better, thanks."

Alekzander nodded. "No problem." As he walked out of the kitchen he yelled over his shoulder. "Stay there. I'll go get something for your head." He returned a few minutes later with a giant bottle of IBUProfen. "This will help with your head but you have to take it with milk. And I want you to eat- I think Taco Bell will sit well on your stomach. Do we have a deal?" Sebastian needed no time to think about it; he went to the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk. Alekzander popped the top off the bottle and took out three capsules. "Take these," he handed the capsules to Sebastian, "I'll be back soon with dinner. Don't answer the door."

Sebastian watched his guardian leave then curled up on the couch. _He's acting weird and out of character. Was I really that wrong about him? Prince and Alek seem to like him well enough- they call him daddy. Should I call him daddy? What if he's just playing me and only acting nice so that I trust him and don't run away when he gets mean? Why did we run away in the first place? Why the hell does my head hurt so much? Is it because of the merging? I hope the kids at school like me. But what if they don't? Why can't I use magic anymore? Maybe because the other kids will think I'm a freak…._

Alekzander approached the boy carefully; _either he's in deep thought or unbearable pain. _"Sebastian, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Sebastian replied.

"Dinner's on the table." He returned to the dining room intent on waiting for the boy. He didn't have to wait long. Sebastian stumbled into the dining room- he had promised to eat, after all. "Is everything alright? You looked deep in thought just now. I'm uh…well, here if you ever want to talk," said Alekzander.

Sebastian took a large bite out of his burrito, he swallowed. "Why are you acting so weird? You're being nice; you were never like this at school."

The older of the two laughed. "Well," said Alekzander, "had you been a snake you would have seen this side of me. You see, Sebastian, I've always wanted to be a dad but I can't- I'm infertile courtesy of your father and his friends. That's part of why I took you in. You need a father and I want a son. Do you have any other questions?"

"Why would my father do that? What kind of bastard does something like that? I guess you weren't lying about him being a bad person then."

"Don't say that!" shouted Alekzander. "He loved you and your mother more than anything. If it makes you feel any better you don't have to ever consider him your father ever again. I blood adopted you before we came. Now please, just let it go."

Sebastian frowned. _He blood adopted me? But doesn't that mean he can never get rid of me? _He took a quick sip of his soda before talking. "Ok. And, uhm, thanks for adopting me…dad. Just for the record, I'd really like to be your son. My head feels way better, whatever you gave me really helped."

"Good to know. And you can always call me dad; if you want, that is." Alekzander stood and cleared the plates from the table. When he returned Sebastian was sound asleep. He scooped the sleeping boy into his arms and carried him upstairs. He removed Sebastian's shoes and jeans then tucked the boy in.


	14. Chapter 14: Neil

Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: I do not own

Sebastian woke the next morning feeling groggy- the IBUProfen had yet to make its way through his system. He stumbled out of bed and to the bathroom where, after a shower, he found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror. _Why do I look so different? Oh yeah, he said something about a blood adoption, didn't he? But does that make him our father? _Sebastian wondered. _No, he's not our father. He's just a decent guy who wants to be a dad but can't because of what our father did. Pretending to be his son is the best way to survive. But with the blood adoption… no! He doesn't want to be our father; he's doing this for some other reason. Maybe because we're the weapon they need to win the war? Or maybe there's another reason, something personal. Whatever the reason, he still saved us…me…whatever! We owe him a lot just for that and he wants a son. We're going to be the best damn son possible! _Having finally agreed with himself, Sebastian made his way down to the kitchen fully dressed. He had planned on making his rescuer breakfast but found said man sitting at the kitchen table eating cold cereal while hunched over a large stack of papers. "Sorry sir," he said, "I didn't mean to oversleep."

"Good morning," Alekzander said without looking up from his papers. "You didn't oversleep, it's still early. Are you doing all right? I know it's not ideal but we should try to get everyone merged before school starts. Tonight would be a good time for another merge- that way you can sleep it off. Does this sound reasonable?" Sebastian nodded in reply. "Remember how I said that we would be living as muggles? Well, I found a way for you to train. An, well I suppose you could call him an old friend of mine lives here in the city and has kindly agreed to let you train in his home. He has also agreed to train you himself as I cannot. I'm taking you there this afternoon so the two of you can meet. Is this agreeable?"

Sebastian frowned. "Why can't you train me?"

Alekzander rolled his eyes, _why must children always ask questions? _"I cannot train you because the Ministry will be searching for my magical signature and Harry Potter's. They cannot track you thanks to the blood adoption. That and Neil will probably be able to train you better, he won't have to worry about you hating him and acting out. Regardless of how you may feel about this, you must be trained." He dropped his British accent before continuing. "Suck it up and take it like a man."

"Yes sir," replied Sebastian. _I didn't know he had any friends, this'll be interesting. _"Should I take my text books?"

"Yes."

An hour later they departed the flat and made their way to Neil's. Alekzander knocked, a tall blonde with extremely well toned muscles opened the door. "Neil."

"Alek," the man replied.

"This is my son, Sebastian. What time shall I pick him up?"

Neil reached out and grabbed Sebastian's shoulder then pulled him inside. "A few hours should be good." He slammed the door shut. He led Sebastian into his library; they sat on two couches opposite each other. "Hello Sebastian, my name is Neal as I'm sure Alek told you. He probably didn't tell you, however, that he and I were roommates in college. I know Alek can be a very difficult person, I also know that he's not your father- no need to worry, he told me who you are. I also get the distinct feeling that the two of you don't get along. He's doing the best that he can right now; things will get better if you are willing to try to make them better. Enough of that. Let's get started. Did you bring your books?" Sebastian nodded. "Good. You'll have to remind me, what year are you?"

"I'm a second year," Sebastian replied as he pulled his books from the bag he brought. "What subject should we start with, sir?"

Neil grinned. "Defense is, of course, the most important."

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas Kate.


	15. Chapter 15: Rebuilding Bridges

Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: I do not own

Alekzander paced back and forth across Neil's deck. _Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Who knows what Neil will tell him about me! The boy's trust in me and likewise sense of security is vital. Lily's child deserves a normal life; without, well, a parent or mentor how does a kid have a normal life? And, of course, we need him for the war. If he's not set straight soon he'll probably be the next dark lord- he's certainly angry enough. Hopefully between Neil and myself, he'll be convinced that he doesn't want to be dark. _He stopped pacing and knocked on the door. Neil opened the door, Sebastian was nowhere in sight. "Where is he," asked Alekzander.

Neil nodded his head backwards. "He's helping me cook dinner, a dinner which I'm sure he would like to eat considering he's helped make it. You're welcome to join us." He stepped back and opened the door further. Alekzander grunted his thanks then stepped inside. They went to the kitchen where they found Sebastian filling a glass with milk.

"Good evening sir. Neil and I made chili," said Sebastian.

"Sounds good," Alekzander lied. _The only thing that sounds good right now is leaving. _ He took a seat at the table and made sure that Sebastian sat between him and Neil. Sebastian picked up his spoon.

Neil cleared his throat. "Please remember your manners gentlemen and say grace before eating." Sebastian put his spoon back in its place then gave Alekzander a curious glance. After Neil said grace they ate in silence. "Sebastian," said Neil as they finished eating, "why don't you go hang out in the library?" Sebastian nodded sheepishly then left. "It's been years since I heard from you Alek. So why did you come to me? There are plenty of people who would have been happy to help you."

Alekzander moved the plates from the table to the sink and began washing them. "There aren't many people who can train him properly; all of the others except you would murder the boy on sight." Neil smirked and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "And, perhaps, I have missed you somewhat."

"Somewhat my ass," said Neil as he rubbed his thigh against Alekzander's. "Don't worry Alek; I've missed you somewhat too. We worked on defense today; his core is far stronger than the Ministry recorded the Potter boy's to be. It's almost as strong as yours. Why didn't you mention the blood adoption?" he paused. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. He is so far incapable of controlling his core- it probably has something to do with the dissociative identity disorder that you failed to mention. We'll get back to that later. I spoke recently to our good friend Mr. Malfoy; apparently he is expecting the Dark Lord to return this year. He said something about a great beast hiding in the depths of the school. The war is on; we need to watch our steps. In order to pass the boy off as your son you'll have to take him to the Dark Lord. We need to prepare him." He put a hand on Alekzander's shoulder, "I know this scares you Alek but it will be easier to take them out from the inside; it'll be easier to take out Dumbledore if Sebastian has knowledge of both sides. He could lead us to the Golden Age, if you play things right that is."

Alekzander considered this a moment. _I didn't save the boy so that we could win the war. I saved him for Lily. But shouldn't we at least try to win the war? I won't be able to keep him if I don't play along. _"Yes, I see your point. I trust you to prepare him for what's coming. We'll have to be careful though, he has the potential to become a dark lord. I don't suppose you'd like to help with tonight's merging? He might trust you more that way." Neil nodded. "Let's go get started then."

They walked shoulder to shoulder into the library where they found Sebastian sitting on the couch practicing the spells Neil had shown him earlier. He stopped when Alekzander and Neil sat on the couch opposite. "Are we going to do the merging here?" he asked Alekzander. Alekzander nodded in reply.

Alekzander easily entered Sebastian's mind then brought in Neil. They found themselves in the barracks. Prince and Alek ran forward to Alekzander and wrapped their arms around him. Both spoke at once. "Hi daddy." "Hello dad."

"Hello boys," replied Alekzander. "So which of you is next?"

Alek ran forward. "Me daddy, me!" Sebastian sighed in disgust before embracing Alek.

Alekzander and Neil attempted to shield their eyes from the light that emitted from the embracing boys to no avail. They suddenly found themselves back in the library staring at Sebastian's curled up form. "Are you okay?" asked Neil.

Sebastian shrugged. "The memories are really bad. I think I'm gonna sleep now."

Neil stood then lifted Sebastian into his arms. "You're sitting on a pull-out, the sheets are in the closet, if you'd be so kind as to make it up while I put him to bed I'd appreciate it." He carried Sebastian up to the master bedroom then tucked him in. "Good night, Sebastian." He returned to the library after preparing himself for bed.

Alekzander lay on the pull-out facing opposite the door. Neil silently laid down next to him then shut his eyes.

Thanks for the reviews and follows. It's amazing; I got over 1,000 views on this story Tuesday! Just incredible. Again, thanks for the support.

-AM


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